President Bola Tinubu has approved a new salary structure for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, with monthly pay set to rise across different ranks.
The new arrangement, which takes effect from September 1, 2026, will cover about 250,000 military personnel. The increases range from 30 per cent to 80 per cent, depending on rank.
Under the approved structure, a General will earn ₦3.25 million monthly, while a Private will receive ₦187,200.
The new pay system is expected to increase the government’s annual salary spending on the Armed Forces from ₦660 billion to about ₦924 billion. This represents an additional ₦264 billion every year.
Senior officers from the rank of Brigadier-General to General are expected to receive increases at the lower end of the range, while some lower-ranking personnel will get much higher percentage increases.
The new monthly salaries are as follows:
Private — New salary: ₦187,200 | Previous salary: ₦104,000 | Increase: ₦83,200
Lance Corporal — New salary: ₦201,600 | Previous salary: ₦112,000 | Increase: ₦89,600
Corporal — New salary: ₦207,000 | Previous salary: ₦115,000 | Increase: ₦92,000
Sergeant — New salary: ₦225,000 | Previous salary: ₦125,000 | Increase: ₦100,000
Staff Sergeant — New salary: ₦270,000 | Previous salary: ₦150,000 | Increase: ₦120,000
Warrant Officer — New salary: ₦306,000 | Previous salary: ₦170,000 | Increase: ₦136,000
Master Warrant Officer — New salary: ₦315,000 | Previous salary: ₦210,000 | Increase: ₦105,000
Army Warrant Officer — New salary: ₦345,000 | Previous salary: ₦230,000 | Increase: ₦115,000
Second Lieutenant — New salary: ₦360,000 | Previous salary: ₦240,000 | Increase: ₦120,000
Lieutenant — New salary: ₦420,000 | Previous salary: ₦280,000 | Increase: ₦140,000
Captain — New salary: ₦480,000 | Previous salary: ₦320,000 | Increase: ₦160,000
Major — New salary: ₦570,000 | Previous salary: ₦380,000 | Increase: ₦190,000
Lieutenant Colonel — New salary: ₦630,000 | Previous salary: ₦420,000 | Increase: ₦210,000
Colonel — New salary: ₦870,000 | Previous salary: ₦580,000 | Increase: ₦290,000
Brigadier-General — New salary: ₦975,000 | Previous salary: ₦750,000 | Increase: ₦225,000
Major-General — New salary: ₦1.495 million | Previous salary: ₦1.15 million | Increase: ₦345,000
Lieutenant-General — New salary: ₦2.47 million | Previous salary: ₦1.9 million | Increase: ₦570,000
General — New salary: ₦3.25 million | Previous salary: ₦2.5 million | Increase: ₦750,000
The salary adjustment is expected to improve the welfare of military personnel as they deal with increasing living costs.
It also represents a major rise in the government’s financial commitment to the Armed Forces, with the yearly wage bill expected to increase by hundreds of billions of naira once the new structure is fully implemented.
